Giving evidence in court, Grant, 30, told the jury that the woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, had told a man in the beer garden of The Two Trees pub that she would be “sleeping with him [Grant]” that night.

GV of Plymouth Crown Court.

Grant told the court how he had gone out alone on the night of the incident when he bumped into co-defendant McPartland.

He said he was approached by the then 19-year-old woman and they began talking outside of Revolution on Union Street.

He said the woman was a “nice girl” and that they were flirting, but that “nothing crossed his mind at that time” about something happening between the pair.

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McPartland, Grant and the woman moved on to The Two Trees pub – CCTV showed Grant with his arms around the woman, and he added that she was hugging him back.

Grant said the friend who was with the woman had decided to go home before going into The Two Trees, but that the woman decided to stay with Grant and McPartland – and that there was no insistence from the two defendants that she stayed.

The trio were captured on CCTV leaving The Two Trees at around 4am

Grant told the jury how the trio were having a “great time” talking and “all flirting”.

According to Grant, a gay man started “hitting on him” which is when the alleged victim stepped in and said “I’m sleeping with him tonight”.

CCTV footage played in court showed Grant, McPartland and the woman getting in a taxi just after 4am.